5 weeks ago

Rice is nice

Rice is a perfect example of the weight loss industry (with aid of "research and marketing") brainwashing entire cultures into believing the food that they have always eaten is somehow harming them. World over, the nutrition bodies have finally recognized this phenomenon as nutrient transition, where ancient communities are becoming increasingly prone to diabetes, obesity, heart and other lifestyle diseases after switching from their local, seasonal foods to something exotic, non-native. Here is the summary of the Rice is nice series I ran on FB and Twitter in the last week: Things we don't know or don't bother to know about Rice It promotes growth of pro-biotic bacteria, eases bowel movement and rids you of bloating. Most common myths about Rice, and where you should banish them Rice has starch a) cooked rice has less than 10% starch and b) starch is a source of energy as its converted to glucose in the body, so we need it. Rice is high GI and bad for diabetics Rice, as it is traditionally eaten with dal/sabzi/meat/dahi, etc reduces the GI of the meal and is great for diabetics. Rice is carbs, so avoid, especially in night a) No food is just carbs or proteins or fats. b) Rice has crucial amino acids, vitamins and many phytonutrients. c) Carbs are essential for our body and have a calming effect, therefore great as a dinner option. Brown is better than white a) traditionally we have always eaten hand pounded or single polished rice which is whitish, not brown, b) this kind of rice lets the body assimilate all the nutrients from it, e.g. Vit B6. Ok, ok fine, rice is nice, but must not eat it too much Too much of hawa is also bad, so completely let go off your fear of rice, eat it and trust your tongue and stomach to guide you.

It prevents premature wrinkling.

It has essential amino acids like methionine, which when consumed with dal, for example, completes the amino acid profile of the meal. (They are limiting factors of each other).

Has inositol, which has fat burning, antianxiety, and irritability reducing properties.

It allows for better assimilation of Vitamin D and calcium.

Myths about rice stem from basically two reasons a) ignorance about the wisdom on food passed down over generations. Not just ignorance, disdain almost. b) knowing little about the science behind food. No one claims to be an expert in fields like CA, engineering, design, medicine, etc etc, but for some reason everyone is one

when it comes to Nutrition. So things like carbs are bad, or rice has starch or its fattening, etc are nothing but fantasies of a brain starved of, ironically, carbs/starch and fats. Eat your rice the way you like it, eat it as often in the day as you want and eat it in quantities which will leave you feeling light and energetic, and enjoy the wonders it will have on your body. P.S: This post was in part motivated by misleading ad campaigns that claim that their rice is fibre rich or cholesterol free or low glycemic index, which gives the general public an impression that the regular rice they have traditionally been eating doesn't have all these benefits. Posted 5 weeks ago by Rujuta Diwekar
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Himali February 8, 2013 at 10:32 AM Thanks a lot Rujuta for educating the commoners such as me about real nutrient. I have never been on a diet in my life but i did want to 'feel better' and your books are helping me achieve that. Not to say that i did feel a tiny winy guilt while eating rice, i now eat it with an open mind. i know where to stop (after practicing the four principles) and i am content with what i eat and feel happy about it. Thanks again and keep up such mythbusting articles coming up Reply

Shweta February 8, 2013 at 11:12 AM thank you Rujuta, U have completely changed my perception towards rice, I can't tell how guilty i feel when i feed my hubby (high cholesterol, triglycerides and uric acid) with rice. we both love dal chawal. atleast now we can eat it guilt free. thanks :) Reply

Dharana Mohanty February 8, 2013 at 7:52 PM Thanks Rujuta for clearing so many things about rice n now whenever I feel like eating I can eat without any guilt. Thank You so much. Reply

Tina Mansukhani February 8, 2013 at 9:41 PM Thank you Rujuta for the fine words and on breaking so many myths we Indians have around our foods and specifically 'rice'. Your book, blogs and theories have helped me get healthy and loose weight naturally and in a very healthy fashion Reply

Ritika Mahendru February 22, 2013 at 2:56 AM Thank you so very much Rujuta! The Rice series is an eye-opener for sure. I personally love rice and eat it with full satisfaction! Reply

Seem March 7, 2013 at 1:08 PM There is one more Myth about rice that u did'nt cover. While cooking throw away the water of the rice when boiled. You'll get less calories . What will u say about it? Reply E n t e ry o u rc o m m e n t . . .

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